Personal letters to about 20 European leaders warning of the growing activism of Hamas across Europe.
jpost
Israel’s Diaspora Affairs Ministry sent personal letters to about 20 European leaders, signed by Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli, which included evidence of the terrorist activity of Hamas activists and operatives of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) in major cities across the continent.
‘Weeks have passed since the barbarism that Hamas committed against infants, children, the elderly, and thousands of Israeli citizens. This is not the time for ambiguity. I want to clarify this unequivocally. Hamas has proven that their goal is to kill Jews everywhere,’ Chikli wrote.
‘Since the massacre, calls for violence against Jews worldwide have increased by 120% – a shocking statistic. Unfortunately, Hamas’s bloodlust is not limited to Israel and Jews but also extends to Europe and Christians. I want to remind you that in the past, Hamas members expressed the Islamic intention to conquer Europe.’
The letters were sent to leaders in Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, the UK, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Greece, Germany, and representatives of the European Union.
‘Must be uprooted and eradicated’
‘Hamas has been operating for many years worldwide, mainly through covert humanitarian donations,’ Tzur Bar-Oz, Head of the Research and Foreign Relations Division at the Diaspora Affairs Ministry stated. ‘It is a complex network of hatred operating in many countries, including Western and highly democratic ones. This phenomenon must be uprooted and eradicated as soon as possible. This activity has already yielded results and produced consequences.’
In addition to the minister’s personal appeal, the letters included evidence that vilifies the activists, including statements, posts praising Hamas’s activity on social media, and more. The goal is to make these countries understand that it is a real threat and act to eliminate it.
Certain examples that were presented in the letters include, Mohammed Ahmed Hanon, an Italian resident, and head of the ‘Charity Association for Palestinian Support’ (ABSPP) in Italy, which was part of the ‘Union of Good,’ designated illegal in Israel and the US (2008) for transferring funds to Hamas. In 2021, the accounts of the association were closed due to suspicious transactions. Photos of him with Hamas leaders, including Ismail Haniyeh, and receiving an honor from the organization’s senior figure Ahmed Barhoum, were presented. Hannon also praised and glorified Hamas leaders and displayed Hamas flags on his Facebook page.
Another example is Amin Abu Rashad, who in 2023 was arrested on suspicion of transferring millions of euros from Europe to Hamas through seemingly charitable organizations. Evidence was presented to support terrorism and terrorists. Abu Rashad published a post praising the ‘hands’ that carried out stabbing attacks in Jerusalem in the early wave of knife terrorism in October 2015.
Muhammad Suwala (Abu Obada), was a member of Hamas’s military wing in the West Bank in the late 80s when the movement was established and a member of Hamas’s political bureau from 2013-2017. Currently residing in the UK, Suwala played a key role in planning the Marjayoun ambush (2010). Declared by the Minister of Security (2013) as part of an illegal association while being part of Hamas. Sualeha expressed support for suicide bombings during the second intifada (2001).
NGO Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network was declared a terrorist organization as part of the PFLP in 2012. Its representatives operate in many European and North American countries, led by Khaled Barakat, a senior member of the PFLP, involved in establishing military cells and promoting terrorist activity in Israel and abroad. The formal goal is to assist Palestinian prisoners in their struggle to be released from prison, but in practice, it serves as a ‘protective body’ operating under the cover for the PFLP abroad.
‘We hope that the leaders of the countries understand what Hamas is,’ Bar-Oz concluded. ‘And that these are extreme people who pose a threat to citizens worldwide, not just Jews and not just in Israel. We are already seeing a response from certain countries on the ground.’